1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to shoe inserts. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a resilient shoe insert and method in which a resilient shoe insert is used to maintain the shape and structural integrity of the pointed shoe tip portion of a pointed-tip shoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists a large variety of shoes for women including high heels, kitten heels, boots, wedge sandals, mules, slingbacks, espadrilles, pumps, etc. Some of these shoes may be very expensive, in which case the wearer may keep them for a long time. Some shoes such as high-heeled shoes and boots include a prominent tip that imparts an elongated and elegant appearance to the shoe.
A woman's dress-type shoe typically includes a sole including an insole and an outsole, a heel which can be high for fashion or to make the person look taller or can be flat for a more practical use, a vamp, a medial and a tip. If the tip of the shoe is pointed, as is typically the case in high heels and boots, then the toes of the wearer will not reach the end of the tip since the tip is narrower than the wearer's toes. Due to normal wear, the outer surface of the tip may become squashed or deteriorated, detracting from the general appearance of the shoe.
In order to prevent or reduce deterioration of the shoe, various shoe inserts which include homemade solutions have been devised. For example, a piece of cotton may be inserted in the shoe's tip in order to maintain its original, full appearance. The cotton functions as a cushion that maintains the original shape of the tip.
Also known is a woman's shoe insert which supports the inner portion of a shoe. An angled surface is formed at a rear end of the shoe insert and extends to a seat at a bottom end of the insert. The angled surface includes a locating trough having a broad top end and a narrow bottom end. The bottom end of the locating trough is engageable with a front end of a support rod, the rear end of which supports the rear end of the shoe. This type of insert is effective in maintaining the original shape of the shoe but can only be used when the shoe is not being worn.
Another solution to maintaining the shape of a shoe is a shoe insert which includes a sheet-like pad. The pad defines an upper surface and a lower surface and has a generally pointed shape for insertion into a front foot portion of footwear. The upper surface has an adhesive which secures the pad to an upper inner surface of the front foot portion of the footwear. The lower surface cushions the front foot portion to provide comfort to a person wearing the shoe. However, the shoe insert does not shape the shoe and merely provides comfort to the wearer of the shoe.
Also known is a two-piece tip protector which is to be worn on a shoe to protect the foot of a wearer. The tip protector includes a lower toe piece which is secured to the toe of the shoe, an upper covering piece which is located above the lower piece and extends rearwardly toward the ankle of the user and a cooperating attachment which protrudes from the top surface of the lower piece and the bottom surface of the upper piece to releasably hold the upper piece in a raised position above the bridge of the shoe with a clearance distance therebetween. The tip protector is placed on the outer surface of the shoe to protect the exterior surface of the tip portion of the shoe.
Even though the above-identified products address some of the needs of the market, a practical resilient shoe insert which is capable of being used while the shoe is worn and is also capable of being inserted and used in almost any type of pointed-tip shoe to maintain the general original appearance of the shoe is still desired.